With a 5.viii% acceptance rate, getting into Duke in 2022-23 is now as daunting a challenge equally gaining acceptance into just about whatsoever Ivy League school. While Duke University may immediately conjure up images of the "Cameron Crazies" decked out in devil masks and bluish face up paint, make no mistake—those rowdy-looking students are really every bit studious equally they come. In fact, simply nearly every single 1 of the individuals y'all see in those stands on idiot box scored a 1500+ on the Sabbatum or a 35+ on the Human action and earned a parade of A's throughout a high schoolhouse schedule overflowing with AP/IB/dual enrollment courses. This brings u.s. to the topic of this blog – how to write the Duke supplemental essays.

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Given that near 19 of every xx applicants to Duke Academy are ultimately unsuccessful, you demand to exercise everything you tin can to stand out among a sea of uber-qualified teens from around the globe. Through its one mandatory essay prompt and 2 optional offerings, the Duke Academy supplemental department still affords applicants an opportunity to highlight what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are Knuckles's supplemental prompts for the 2022-23 admissions cycle along with tips most how to address each 1.

Required Knuckles Supplemental Essays – #1

i) What is your sense of Knuckles as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good friction match for y'all? If at that place's something in particular virtually our offerings that attracts you, feel costless to share that also. (250 word limit)*

This is your quintessential "Why Us?" essay which comes with the typical pitfalls you'll want to avert. We don't want to characterization these as "mistakes" (in that location is nothing inherently wrong with them); they just don't add together whatsoever needle-moving value, which is, of grade, the but goal when you lot are applying to a school as selective as Duke.

Mutual components of a generic "Why Knuckles?" essay

  • Talking almost the Blue Devils basketball game team.
  • Fawning over the beautiful campus (information technology is quite beautiful, but they already know that).
  • Knuckles is pinnacle-ranked, prestigious, and has a bang-up reputation. Again, they know!
  • Too many generic expressions of feeling (due east.thousand. It has been my dream since I was 5 to attend Knuckles…).
  • Recycled statements from your other "Why United states?" essays that come across as stale, impersonal, or worst of all–irrelevant/inaccurate.

How to write a winning "Why Duke?" essay

  • Cite specific academic programs, professors, research opportunities, internship/externship programs, report abroad programs, student-run organizations, etc.
  • Make certain to address why Duke is the perfect fit for you lotandwhy you are the perfect fit for Duke.
  • Show evidence of how your past/current endeavors will carry over onto Duke'south campus.
  • What special talents and passions will you lot bring to Duke?
  • How will you take advantage of Duke'south immense resource both inside and outside of the classroom?

Big-picture thoughts on the "Why Duke?" essay

In any "Why Us?" limerick, yous need to prove that you've washed your homework on a given school, but you don't want it to read similar a rote list of items that you Googled 5 minutes before writing the essay (even if the timing of the Google search is roughly accurate).

In addition to the pure research element, a lot of the time and skill required in creating a stellar Knuckles essay volition involve connecting the classes, professors, opportunities, etc. of involvement that yous have uncovered to your distinct values, talents, aims, proficiencies, and hereafter goals.

Optional Essays – Select 0-two from the following list (250 word limit each)

ane) Nosotros seek a various student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, nosotros are interested in what you'd similar to share about your lived experiences and how they've influenced how you think of yourself.

While this one is technically "optional", we advise every single bidder to Duke to opt-in on this essay. Recall, Duke is i of those rare schools that rejects students with near perfect (or even perfect) bookish credentials. Information technology is essential that you showcase the characteristics and skills that make you one-of-a-kind.

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the post-obit topics:

  1. A perspective you hold
  2. An experience y'all had
  3. A community you belong to
  4. Your cultural background
  5. Your family groundwork

The admissions officeholder looking at your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, and then exist open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and insightful. No matter what type of story you tell, the goal is to have the reader come away saying, "I can definitely meet this applicant as a contributing fellow member of our talented and engaged student community."

two) We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our behavior or values; who do you lot hold with on the big important things, or who practice you take your nigh interesting disagreements with? What are yous agreeing or disagreeing about?

The U.Due south. presently finds itself in an farthermost state of polarization. There seems to be little agreement even every bit to what constitutes "truth" or "facts". Within this divided world, information technology can be difficult for individuals with competing viewpoints to appoint in civil and productive dialogue. Here, Duke is giving y'all the take chances to show that you are an open-minded, intellectually curious, truth-seeking young person. Illustrate how you lot are willing to engage in conversations/debates with people who concur opposing positions on topics of cracking importance to you. One key affair to remember when addressing this prompt is that you don't have to be the hero of the anecdote. In fact, you may be one who learned to aggrandize their thinking.

Of course, you are also invited to share virtually a person y'all agree with. However, without whatsoever friction, this may exist less interesting of the two choices.

three) What has been your all-time academic experience in the last two years, and what made it and so good?

Knuckles is narrowing the scope of this prompt downward to the second half of sophomore year through nowadays. Some things to keep in mind while brainstorming:

  • "Academic" does not have to mean classroom-based.
  • Past what method did you learn? What does this say about y'all?
  • Feel free to highlight a great teacher you had. Why did you find them particularly engaging?
  • What was the nigh meaningful hands-on experience you lot've had that relates to your area of academic interest?
  • Did the experience force you to grow and stretch exterior of your comfort zone? These types of stories often make for the most meaningful essays.

4) Duke'south commitment to variety and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If y'all'd like to share with united states of america more than most your identity in this context, experience free to do so here.

In that location is absolutely no demand to force an answer to this question unless you lot have a burning want to practice so. Of course, if you do feel that an element of your sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is an important component of who you are, this is an ideal place to discuss that part of yourself.

How important are the Duke supplemental essays?

There are eight factors that Duke University considers every bit "very important" in evaluating a candidate and the essays are among them. In add-on to the essays, Duke gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of an applicant'south secondary school record, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities.

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